Connecticut western news., 1887-02-02
THE SUNDAY PULPIT.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S LAST SUNDAy,a
 SERMON.
Subject "The Flying Doves."

lulO d DSIl. W Qen lie WOulQ nave It RllQ6 the air He molds it into bird. For some Of us the structure and habits of birds have very great fascination. The blackbird, Boating like a flake of the darkness through the sunshine. The meadow lark, with head of fawn and throat of velvet, and breast of gold. The red tiamingo flying over the swamp like spark str1ck from the forge of the setting sun. The pelican, black and white, morning and night tangled in his wing. They seem to be not more of earth vacillating between the two. do not won- der that Audubon took bis gun and tramped through the American forests to find some new specimens of birds. GeologiSts have given whole years to find the track of a birds claw ill the new red sandstone. There is enough of Gods architecture in snipes bill or a grouse's foot to confound all the univer- sites Musicians have tried with bars and clefs to represent the music of the nightin- gale and the robin. One of the first things that child notices is the swallow at the caves of the house, while grandfather comes out with a handful of crumbs to feed the snowbirds. Behold the fowls of the air." said Christ in His great sermon and Isaiah, looking forward to the time when there would be great multitude of people coming to Christ and coming to the church, is reminded of a flock of pigeons alighting on COOP and then all those pigeons together and he cries out in the words of my text: 'W ho are these that fly as cloud, and as the doves to their windows9'
 This IS memorable day in Brooklyn Tab day we haul it in. On ether days we send out invitations to the Kings party; to-day we sit at the banquet On other days we fight the battle; to-day we claim victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Men and women who have toiled and contributed and prayed for the advancement of this church, take into your soul to-day with high satis faction all this scene. Bring garlands and music, and spirit of consecra- Oh the mercy of God. People tell me it is a notion. Then put on it four swift sailing crafts, with choice rigging and with compass and chart and with skilltul navigators, and tell them to launch away and tell us the OK they start, and one ship goes to the north, and another to the south, and another to the east, t,and another to the west, and they sail on ten thousand years, and after while they one cries from the Heavenly land: ''Have you found the shore of Gods mercyp' and they reply: No shore, no shore to Gods mercy" And then swift an. gels gels ths, are dispatched spa from the throne, of divine mercy, and they fly on ten thou. sand years, and they fly on a million wears and then come back. and they fold their wings at the foot of the throne of God, and some some one 4 +S iries out Have you found the
 
 trey say: '" No shore, no shore to the ocean of Gods mercy" Mercy, mercy! i sine if. plead it, l pray it. Here is a man bound nan hand a and foot by Satan, and one stroke of ingly. free. Mercy, mercy There is no height it cannot clear. There is no depth 1t cannot fathom. There is no immensity if cannot compass. When large number of persons lon church the first natural ques- ton that arises is, who are they What has been thelr character Where did they come from ? What is their history And SO looking off upon this great multitude who 53TS,lay 3S,y have connected themselves with the words of my text: "Who are these that 'fI fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows9 Ihey are slaves who have been emancipated. they are soldiers who have enlisted for a thuty years war: they are heirs of immor- multitude who flock into the kingdom of God to-day are like doves to their windows be- cause they fly low. The eagle darts up as though with his beak to strike the so high that sometimes they appear like specks against the sky. and you cannot tell the contour of their bodies. or the style of their plumage. If a sports man discharges his gun at them they are SO high up they do not for an instant change their course. But the pigeons fly low. They fly all around the roof of the house: they fly around the door. They are afraid of great attitudes They never make any high s1enrsl9ns @bo tSis They o, are like the souls cote Of Gods mercy, wanting no high things, willing to come down at the feet of Christ, willing to crawl under the table and take the crumbs that fall from the Masters table Not so were they once. Once they were proud; once they were puffed up; once they were inexorable; once perhaps they were very hard to please, but not now. They have have changed their course; they have fSme Rnn +ha into the the doveeot of Gods mercy. the years of their sinNsins % 'otAeh0yt of yr hood, girlhood, manhood, womauhood. dark breeding, deathful sins, sins against God, sins against the Bible, sins against their soul, sins against tho judgment day, sins these things. They fly low. 1 have heard that in England, in an institution of charity where people are taken and cared for, that before they take off the rags of their poverty and wash off the filth of ther abomination, picture is taken of them, as they are; so that in after time they may remember what the institution has done for them. And here is picture of what we were before Christ redeemed us. We were in the rags of our sins and the filth of our abomination. Unclean, uncleani Though now in the light and the peace end the pros perity of tie gospel, and robed in the right eousness of the Son of God, let us once ill while come and look at the old picture of what we once were. Then we will fly low. Those souls who come into the kingdom to-day should remember that they are coming into the presence of a God who hates sin lie abhors iniguity. He cannot abide trans gressions. He slew the 1S5,0O0 of Sennach- cribs host in night. 'Holy, holy, holy is | the Lord God Almighty Fly low! An emperor a thousand years ago planted @ TO e. i bush which is blooming yet, and nineteen l centuries ago, at the foot of the cross of the Son of God, a rel rose was planted which is | blooming yet You want to stoop down and | pluck that rose. You want to stoop down and breathe that fragrance. Oh, for more | of the humility of the Gospel. Oh for more of the childlike spirit, Let us fly low.
 This multitude who flock into the Kingdom | of God also come like doves to their windows | because they fly for shelter. The albatross makes throne of the tempest. The sea- gulls have 8 frolic in the storm, and the higher the surf dances the better they are pleased. But the pigions at the first blow of the northeast storm hie to the dovecot, and and iron beak and filthy talons come down the pigeons, the doves, immediately hie to the dovecot. And so it is with those who come here to-day, who enter the Kingdom of God: They come, what for' For shelter. after them. You are followed out by your dog when you want him to go back, and you bid him home. You start on your walk look back and the dog is following You say
 Back with you, home with you.n You gc on, and after a while accidentally you look back and with sneaky tread he is still following you, and will not go back
 So, too, after every man there is some sir following; where he goes this sin goes; where he stays this sin stays: trying to destroy
 him, trying to tempt him away from the right, trying to overthrow him. Every mar
 has some besetting sin. For every dove z
 hawk. These who come to-day are com
 ing for shelter. They say practically: |
 there is any power in prayer, pray for mo
 if there is anything in Christian association
 let me try its influence; if there is anything
 In kindly surroundings, let me have it.
 ''Where thou goest l will go. Thy people shall be my neonle thy God my Cod Wheri